Time Line Project...

Hello and Welcome!

Happy New Year!!!

I know it's been awhile again!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and your New Year is off to a wonderful start!

As you may have noticed, I haven't been around in awhile.

Our last few months have been super busy and I have just been happy to keep my little family afloat through it all!

I have been going through a "creative drought" as of late...there has just been a lot going on and stress levels have been quite high.  Over the last few weeks I decided that I needed to try something new creatively that was going to be just for me!  

I came across this extremely intriguing class by Tangie Baxter!

It flashed up as a sponsored ad on Facebook and I just had to check it out!

This caravan of classes revolves around creating the timeline of your own life in an artistic/mixed media way!  I thought this would be fun to give a try so I signed up!

I started with some page prep and decided to go with watercolor backgrounds!

I dug out my Prima watercolors which had seen very little use since being purchased. 

Here's a little photo showing you how I started with my prep...

Now I will admit that it felt good to just let loose and splash all those different colors around on the page.  I tend to be a tad on the perfectionist side...ok...a lot on the perfectionist side and usually have a very clear plan in mind when creating something.  So while this was fun, I really did have to tell myself that however the paint puddles landed was good enough!  LOL

Then came January 01...the release of the first lesson in the Time Line Project.  

Oh how I anticipated!  I watched the videos and it didn't take very long for some panic to set in!

We were to try to sketch some of our die cuts to use in our journaling!

Oh my!!!  There are two things that I really really suck at creatively...and that is drawing and painting!

What have I gotten myself into????

Well, I decided that I couldn't just write off the lesson...I had to jump off ledge and face my fears..so I started to doodle out a few little drawings!  I'm not even going to tell you how many times I had to redraw them before I was satisfied!  LOL

Are you ready for a peek?

That crazy looking fish, the pajamas and the little oven in the corner are all original sketches by me!

I will admit that I kinda had fun doing this and was glad that I jumped out of my comfort zone! 

I threw in a little hand lettering (I'm hoping to get some practice in on that as well yet), some motivational stickers and some Project Life embellishment bits I had lying around!

As you can see, my week is not totally completed here yet in this photo...that blank corner needs to be filled in and I'm waiting to add a small polaroid photo to the blank box (my batteries on my instax printer died and I need to get to town to pick some up).

I hope you've enjoyed my different kind of share here today!

If you're interest has been peaked, you can learn more about the classes here!

Until next time...

Mixed Media Canvas

Two posts in one day!  How does that happen!  LOL

Today begins a new challenge over at Unstampbelles Challenge Blog!

Oh I had fun with this one and I hope you will too!

"Mixed Media with the Twist to Alter Something"

How fun!

I had a small canvas kicking around the craft room and decided to go with that.  I completed it in stages and was able to still do a bit of housework in between the various coats of paint, etc. as they were drying!  Multitasking at its finest!

Here's how it came out...

Aren't the colors fabulous!  I find them so happy!

I dabbled in a little paint, a little texture paste, some rub ons and some stickers for the lettering!

I am really learning to enjoy the concept of mixed media and the fact that its not perfection that you're striving for.  It's carefree and lets you be artistic in the ways you want to be.  

The other DT members have come up with some fantastic creations themselves!

Be sure to check them out here!

Of course we have a wonderful sponsor for this month as well...

http://www.bizzybecscardmakingscrapbooking.com.au/

 

One lucky winner will be taking home this fantastic prize...

 

 

A Marianne Die


Now, remember that our one and only real rule is that you are not allowed to use any stamps in your creation...not rubber, digi or clear!  Believe me...it's really not that hard!  We encourage you to follow our "twist", however it is not mandatory...but it sure makes it more fun!  I had a great time using our twist by altering a canvas in a mixed media style. 
We at Unstampabelles are so excited to see where this challenge takes your creativity!
Remember you have a whole month to enter!

Until next time...

The Colors of Nature

Hello, hello, hello!

So glad you could stop by today and visit with me!

As I schedule this blog post, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I'm busy packing our camper as we can move onto our seasonal site.  

The grass has finally started greening up...I've noticed there are a few perennials starting to pop up in yards and the trees are finally starting to bud!

I love spring!  I love watching the colors come alive!

I can hardly wait until my flower garden looks like our chosen picture for this weeks challenge over at {Pin}spirational Challenges.

Just look at all this color...

 

Isn't it just fabulous!

When I saw this {Pin}spiring photo, my mind quickly went to a project I had been working on for a gift for a friends daughter who was getting baptized this last Sunday!  I have just started dabbling a little more in mixed media and thought a teenage girl might like a mixed media canvas for her room.  My daughter is close friends with this young lady and was more than willing to help me pick out colors, stencils, washi tape, etc.  

We schemed and schemed...and here's what we came up with...

We based the canvas on her favorite Bible Verse...

and we paper pieced a Prima Doll stamp because wouldn't any teenage girl love this image with attitude...

...and I wanted to summarize the Bible verse in a "teen" kinda way, so I decided on a saying and cut out the lettering with my Silhouette Cameo...

My daughter and I had so much fun playing with the sprays, tissue paper, patterned papers, the texture paste and stencils and we both love how colorful the canvas turned out!

Not too shabby (we thought) for not having done much of this style of crafting.  

I do have to say that I am hooked...LOL

I had to come up with a quick craft for some of the church kiddos the other day and decided to get them into this as well....

Here's what they came up with...

(so sorry the picture isn't great quality ...only had the phone handy)

 Now, I've been so excited to share my creation with you today, that I've completely forgotten to mention our sponsors for this challenge...

Fresh Brewed Designs

 

...and...

QKR Stampede

as well as...

LEJ Designs

I hope I've encouraged you to create something special using our picture this week over at {Pin}spirational Challenges.  Be inspired by the colors, the textures, or the flowers...let your creativity lead you...and be sure to link up with us so you have a chance at some awesome prizes!

Until next time...

This creation has been shared in the following challenges...

 Craft My Life..."Anything but a Card"
Crafting From the Heart..."Anything Goes"
My Craft Spot..."Inking"
Scrapping Everyday Miracles..."New, Rebirth" (baptism)
That Craft Place Challenge..."Alter It"
Altered Eclectics..."Anything Altered Goes" (altered canvas)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit..."Anything Altered Goes" (altered canvas)
Seemacrafts..."Butterflies & Rainbows"
Simply Create Too..."Anything but a Card"
Crafting By Designs..."May Anything Goes"
Crafty Creations Challenges..."Anything but a Card"
Inklings & Yarns..."Anything Goes"
Three Muses..."Positive Affirmations"
Word Art Wednesdays..."Anything Goes"
Lia Stampz..."Anything but a Card" 
Challenges 4 Everybody...Anything Goes